


Last Night at Bichang Resort

by secretgardenfan (minflim)



Category: Secret Garden (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:27:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24637564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minflim/pseuds/secretgardenfan
Summary: What Kim Joo-won really thought during the infamous bed scene in episode 13, when Ra-Im stays the night with him at Bichang Resort. Canon elaboration and missing scenes, alternating between Joo-won's and Ra-Im's POVs.
Relationships: Kim Joo-Won/Gil Ra-Im
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Last Night at Bichang Resort

Joo-won’s trick works. The door opens almost immediately, and Ra-Im pokes her head out, looking bewildered. “Director?” she ventures, peering up the stairs. Joo-won tries to ignore the unpleasant sensation that suddenly arises in his chest, realising that while Ra-Im clearly has no qualms about locking _him_ out, she would readily open the door and come looking for Jong-soo. _Good God. Don’t tell me this is what jealousy feels like._

“You really are too dumb for anything other than physical labour,” he tells her curtly. When she blinks quizzically at him, still trying to process the fact that she’s been tricked, he grabs her by the shoulders and walks her backwards into her bedroom, kicking the door shut behind them. “Let’s go to bed,” he says firmly, not wanting to play any more games. What will it take for Ra-Im to realise that he just wants to be close to her? “I’m tired, and my back hurts.”

Ra-Im freezes in shock at his words, then starts squirming violently against him, trying to wriggle out of his grip. Before she can use any debilitating martial arts techniques on him, Joo-won pushes her down onto the bed and climbs in next to her, wincing when his throbbing back hits the mattress with a thud. Undeterred, Ra-Im tries to get up, and in desperation Joo-won loops both his arms around her, bringing them both back down. She kicks and flails against him, clearly unwilling to give in.

“Come on, let’s just go to bed already,” he tells her again, and this time Joo-won clearly hears the whine in his voice. He mentally kicks himself for sounding like a childish idiot and doubles down on his efforts to restrain her, bringing his thigh over her hip and using his body weight to pin her down into the bed. They’re pressed together tightly now, front to front, and Joo-won can feel the slim curves of Ra-Im’s body fitting perfectly against his. He’s been waiting the entire weekend to hold her close like this. It feels so good, just as he’d known it would.

The realisation hasn’t sunk in yet to Ra-Im, however, and she continues to squirm infuriatingly against him, squealing like a baby pig being carried off to slaughter. “Are you crazy?” she shrieks. “Let go of me!” Joo-won hears the breathless note in her voice and smirks inwardly. _She’s nervous. Good._ He slides his hand down the line of her back to rest on her waist, keeping his eyes closed. He feels her tense at his touch. She rails loudly in response, “Let go of me while I’m being nice!” This time when she struggles, he clasps her more tightly against him, pretending to snore. Ra-Im gasps, and Joo-won can feel the tension humming in her body, the subconscious desire that she doesn’t understand and finds alarming. He’d already guessed from the way Ra-Im always turns skittish around him that she’s sexually inexperienced, but from her current behaviour, he knows for sure that this has to be her first time in bed with a man. He also knows that she’s fighting her own desires more than she’s fighting him. He holds on to her, willing her silently to stop resisting it and relax. _I’d never hurt you._

Ra-Im makes a last futile attempt to wriggle away. She pants with effort as she tries to wrestle the weight of him off her, and her words come out in erratic gasps. “Fine,” she threatens weakly. “Get off me on the count of three. I can’t promise I won’t injure you, but at least I won’t send you to the threshold of death… Ah!” She whimpers instinctively as Joo-won’s arms close around her, rolling her back onto her side and pulling her close against him.

In the back of his mind, Joo-won reflects hazily that she makes the most delicious sounds in response to his touch, the kind of sounds that every man dreams of hearing from his woman in bed. _This must be what she would sound like, having sex._ He grips the soft wool of her sweater and urges his thigh more firmly against her hip, wondering how much longer Ra-Im is going to hold out. She moans at the hard pressure of his body, and he senses her resistance crumbling. “Fine,” she says again, with less resolve. “I promise not to hit you at all, if you let me go …” Her hand is resting on his chest now, and he feels her fingertips twitch against his shirt, as if she’s unsure whether or not to touch him.

“If you keep this up, I’m going to take it to the next base,” Joo-won warns her. He doesn’t intend to, not really, but she might as well think so if it’ll make her stop struggling. He hugs her closer with both arms, bracing her against his body. She squeals again, but doesn’t struggle this time, and Joo-won smiles inwardly when he feels her hand finally curl tentatively around his neck, almost as if she can’t resist. He can feel the brush of her forehead against his and the warmth of her breath against his face. He lets himself fantasise, just for a moment, about what it would be like to make love to her. To roll her over on her back, take her lips in a deep kiss, and lose himself in her body. To have her kiss him fiercely back with her usual single-minded focus and arch against him, moaning, as he thrusts into her soft wet depths. To have her surrender wholeheartedly to him, body and soul, without holding back.

The last thought surprises Joo-won. Certainly he’s no innocent, unlike Ra-Im. His love life has never been as prolific as U-yeong’s, but he’s had his fair share of women over the years, all of whom were willing, many of whom were also beautiful, curvaceous and skilled in bed. He’s always liked sex and seen it as a pleasurable routine activity, to be engaged in by mutually consenting adults who subsequently go their separate ways. Joo-won knows that making love with Ra-Im would be very different. The woman in his arms would never be able to treat sex with the same casual detachment as other girls he’s slept with, because unlike them, it means more to her than a purely physical act. He realises, with a sudden pang, just how much he wants to win her trust, how much he wants to be the man whom Ra-Im will let into her bed and her heart. _She really has made me into a besotted fool._

He opens his eyes slowly then, and observes with some surprise that Ra-Im is looking up at him, her eyes wide. She no longer seems alarmed or annoyed, instead meeting his gaze squarely, her body relaxing in his arms. She blinks, her lovely long eyelashes brushing hypnotically against the soft skin of her cheek, and Joo-won is stunned to see curiosity in her eyes, almost as if she’s wondering to herself whether or not to close the few inches between them and kiss him herself. Her gaze drops shyly then, as if she can read his thoughts, but he senses the awakening excitement in her. Almost unconsciously, she brushes warm fingertips against the nape of his neck, as if inviting him to lean in, and he feels his skin tingle from her touch. He rubs his thumb over her shoulder, stroking gently, and her body shifts infinitesimally, nestling closer to him.

Joo-won realises, suddenly, that there’s a real chance of this happening right here, tonight. Ra-Im doesn’t say a word, but she lies pliantly in his arms now, her legs tangled with his, and he knows that she can probably feel him growing hard against her belly. Right on cue, he feels her adjust her hips downwards, unconsciously hitching up against his erection as she wriggles slightly to accommodate the unfamiliar stiffness between them. Joo-won swallows hard, damning himself. When he’d decided to sleep in her bed tonight, he’d never expected her innocent curiosity to become such a turn-on for them both. He looks searchingly into her eyes, and groans inwardly. He knows, from his years of experience, that she’s not fully ready, and the last thing he wants is to wake up in the morning to a scene of outraged virginal modesty. He wants their first time together to be special, and he wants to know that she wants him enough to have sex with him for reasons other than pure lust. Judging from her earlier performance, they still have some way to go in that regard.

He does the only thing he can think of to distract him from the warmth of her body and the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathes against him. “One little Indian, two little Indians, three little Indians,” he chants under his breath, turning his head slightly to look over her shoulder so that he doesn’t have to see his desire reflected in her eyes. He feels Ra-Im draw back in surprise, fixing him with a questioning gaze. Joo-won doesn’t look back at her, knowing that if he does, he might just give in to temptation. He beats back the wave of lust that threatens to overwhelm them both and continues to recite desperately, “Four little Indians, five little Indians, six little Indians…”

Out of the corner of his eye Joo-won sees the corner of Ra-Im’s mouth turn up in a small smile as she witnesses this obvious battle with his hormones. As innocent as she is, she’s clearly aware of the effect she’s had on him, and is woman enough to find it amusing. Frustrated beyond belief, Joo-won runs his hand over the silky locks of her hair and draws her face against his chest, continuing to chant and trying hard to think of anything other than the feel of her body in his arms. Ra-Im shifts a little, burrowing closer against him this time rather than squirming away.

They stay like that for a long while, huddled against each other, until he hears her breathing deepen into sleep. Joo-won pulls the coverlet over them both, tucking it securely around Ra-Im’s back to keep her warm, and finally lets himself drift off, smiling.

*******

His phone alarm goes off at seven just as the sky begins to lighten, turning the leaves of the big birch trees outside the window golden. Joo-won groans silently at the thought of the 7.30 meeting with the engineering team and curses himself for ever having agreed to it. If he hadn’t, he would be able to stay here in bed with Ra-Im and have breakfast with her after their night together. _Serves you right for being such a workaholic._ He rolls over to silence the alarm before it wakes Ra-Im, then turns back to look at her. She’s sleeping soundly on her side, facing him. He smiles a little at the memory of her falling asleep in his arms. Her round tanned face is relaxed, an errant lock of hair falling over her left eye.

He watches her for a minute the way he did the night he slept on the floor with her and the rest of the action school team, observing her long eyelashes and soft, full lips, strikingly feminine contrasts to the boyish cropped hair and her pointed elfin face. Ra-Im _is_ beautiful, in a very different way from all the other women he’s ever dated. He gently strokes the lock of hair back, then leans forward on impulse to press his lips gently against the smooth skin of her forehead. She must sense him in her sleep, because she makes a small sound and turns towards him, as if seeking the shelter of his body. He looks at her for a moment more, then moves quietly to get off the bed, trying not to disturb her.

As he gets dressed, Joo-won marvels at the fact that he’s actually managed to stay the entire night with a woman, and even more remarkably, without even having had sex with the said woman. He studies his reflection disbelievingly in the bathroom mirror. _Kim Joo-won, you must really have fallen for her._ He calls room service to order breakfast for her, then slips out of the villa, shutting the door and locking it silently behind him.

*******

Ra-Im wakes to the sound of birds chirping and the feel of silky sheets under her skin, and for a brief moment she wonders blearily where she is. Then memories come flooding back – Joo-won barging into her room, the two of them grappling on the bed, the hungry expression in his eyes when he’d looked at her. The feeling of falling asleep in his arms, safe and protected, his chin resting on top of her head. She sits up abruptly. She’s alone in the bed, and Joo-won’s phone is gone from the bedside table where she remembers him placing it. She reaches over to feel his side of the bed and finds it stone cold.

Ra-Im tries not to be crushed by the sudden wave of disappointment and hurt that sweeps over her, realising that Joo-won probably left sometime in the middle of the night. Most likely he’s already back in Seoul, having fled like a coward after the intimacy of lying together with her in bed. She feels the back of her throat start to burn and resolutely forces back tears, thinking with shame about the way she almost gave in to him last night. She’d wanted him to kiss her, and now in the privacy of her own mind admits to herself that she wouldn’t have objected if he had wanted to go further. Instead of which he’d started chanting that ridiculous rhyme, which bewildered her at the time but for which she’s now profoundly grateful. At least she can walk away from this surreal weekend without any regrets.

 _Gil Ra-Im,_ she lectures herself. _You are a shameless idiot. You already knew this is what he’s really like. The same thing happens every time you trust him. How many more times do you need to get hurt to learn your lesson? Count your lucky stars that nothing else happened._

She gets out of bed slowly, trying to focus on how she’s going to get back home now that Joo-won has abandoned her. Most likely she’ll have to get the hotel to call a taxi, which is going to cost her an arm and a leg. Pressing her lips together in frustration at her own stupidity, Ra-Im hurriedly gets dressed, throwing her pyjamas and toiletries into her backpack and zipping it up fiercely. Under different circumstances, she would have loved to have a shower in the gleaming marble bathroom, which is bigger than any bathroom she’s ever seen. Right now, though, she just wants to return to Seoul with what remains of her pride.

She dashes up the stairs and stops short when she sees what looks like a breakfast feast spread out on the dining table next to the open kitchenette. There’s a covered bowl of warm porridge, a jug of coffee, and a variety of _banchan_ dishes, all laid out for one person. Ra-Im cocks her head in surprise, then spies the note propped up against the sugar bowl. Printed on fancy hotel paper, it reads: “For Ms Gil Ra-Im. With compliments from Bichang Resort.”

Ra-Im blinks at it in puzzlement, wondering whether she should eat the breakfast or rush back to Seoul. She finally capitulates and sits down to eat, rationalising that it would be a waste of perfectly good food otherwise. She tries not to wonder what this means. Would Joo-won have ordered breakfast for her if he’d already left? Or did he order it _before_ leaving, as some kind of bizarre consolation present? Was free breakfast part of the deal for guests at fancy resorts? Gritting her teeth, Ra-Im pushes these thoughts away and slurps up the porridge. _Well,_ she thinks grimly. _if I have to pay for the taxi back, I should at least get a good breakfast._

When she’s finished, she grabs her backpack and strides determinedly out, not bothering to shut the front door behind her. She doesn’t expect to be confronted by the sight of Joo-won’s car in the driveway and does an abrupt double take, her heart beating rapidly. Just as she looks around for him, she sees people approaching in the distance, coming up the gravel path towards the villa. It’s a group of men wearing hard hats and uniforms, and their leader is talking with someone, bowing respectfully and gesticulating at the buildings. When they come around the bend, she sees that the someone is Joo-won, nodding attentively at the man’s explanations and looking immaculately dressed as always in his long brown coat. She stares at him, her mind repeating the same thought over and over, staccato-fashion: _He didn’t leave. He didn’t leave. He didn’t leave._

Joo-won looks up then, and spies her standing frozen in the doorway of their villa. Ra-Im immediately averts her gaze, feeling awash with guilt for her earlier anger towards him. Not only had he gotten up early to work and left without disturbing her, he’d even ordered breakfast for her to eat when she woke up. She feels suddenly shy, not knowing what to say to him after the night they’d spent together. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Joo-won bid farewell to his staff and walk up the path towards her, coming to a stop beside his car. Her cheeks flush and she bites her lower lip nervously.

Joo-won is the first to speak. “Are you all packed?” he asks in his usual authoritative tone, looking over her. “Can we leave right away?”

Ra-Im nods, still avoiding his gaze. How can he sound so completely normal? “Yes.”

Joo-won abruptly reaches into his trouser pocket and pulls out his car keys, extending them to her. “You can drive.”

Ra-Im finally looks at him then, surprised at his words. He gazes back at her silently, and she suddenly senses the same vulnerability she’s feeling lurking beneath his polished façade. As if he doesn’t know quite what to say to her in the cold light of morning, after the way he’d held and touched her last night. She feels a warm gladness growing and spreading in her chest, and decides to tease him a little. She tries to look stern and aloof. “Me? Why?”

Joo-won swallows awkwardly, still holding his hand with the keys out. “I’m injured,” he says cajolingly. “My back hurts.”

She narrows her eyes at him. _What a baby._ “Stop lying.”

He frowns then, looking hurt. “I’m not lying,” he insists. “I need to hurry back to Seoul and get to a hospital.”

“Don’t try to deceive me,” she tells him firmly. “I’m not falling for it.”

Joo-won huffs in frustration. “I’m not kidding!” he exclaims, exasperated. “I told you I was in so much pain last night, but yet you slept so well.” His lips purse in a pout, and Ra-Im rolls her eyes. “Anyway, it really hurts. Let’s go.” Without waiting for her to respond, he yanks open the passenger door and gets in.

Ra-Im feels guilty again, and finally goes over to him. “Does it really hurt?” she asks him uncertainly. Ignoring his surly look, she takes the keys from him and slides into the driver’s seat. She tries to think back to the night before to recall if he’d shown any signs of being in pain, and only succeeds in making herself blush. She focuses instead on putting the key in the ignition and starting the engine. She’ll never admit it, but she loves driving his car. It reminds her of the stunt cars she’s driven before on sets, their powerful engines as smooth as butter. She also likes driving them both, likes the feeling of them going together to a common destination. She wonders if Joo-won knows any of this and figures that he probably does. He seems to read her like an open book. 

Joo-won doesn’t reply, but Ra-Im feels him watching her side profile intently as they start off, as if trying to discern an answer. She keeps her eyes on the road, but she doesn’t object when he gently tugs her right hand away from the steering wheel, linking their hands together and resting them on her thigh. Instead, she curls her fingers tightly around his and drives like that, one-handed, all the way back to Seoul.


End file.
